Grave-protector.



No. 726,470. PATBNTED APR. 28, 1903. F. SKLRNSKEx GRAVE PROTECTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED Now/3,1902, no MoDEL.

5r fa/M/ ATTORNEY.

Lan/ @mf/wai@ JNVENTOR.

llaman Sra/'ries Fatemi Orr-ion.

FRANK SKLENSKF., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

G RAVI'E-PROTECTDR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,470, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed November 6,1902. Serial No. 130,339. (No model.)

Beit known that I, FRANK SKLENsKE,a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of'California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grave-Protectors, of which the following is a speeication.

My invention relates to means of protecting the graves of deceased persons from being tampered with without betraying the fact and to prevent in some measure the removal of the coffin after it has been placed therein.

I attain these objects by means illustrated in Ithe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a grave of a deceased person containing a coffin and showing my protective device in place. Fig. lb is an end View of the same. Fig. 2 is a view of my protector. Y

When a eoftln rests in a grave as usual and the grave is filled with earth to within about two feet ofthe surface, I place thereon a box, of iron or other suitable metal, Fig. 2, as shown in Figs. la, l, in which l designates the box aforesaid. This box is about three feet or more deep and about six inches narrower and shorter than the grave, and when in position it stands about one foot higher than the surface of the grave. The box has a solid bottom and solid walls. y The walls of the box are flanged at the under end, so they can be riveted to the bottom and at the same time form a rim about two inches or more in width which runs with the same line as the bottom. The top of the box has a plurality of parallel strips, as at 2, Fig. 2, secured crosswise thereof to upright bars bolted to the sides thereof, (shown in section in Figs. l, 11g) and at 3. The box may be filled with earth through this slatted top, and the slats tend to prevent the ready removal of this earth. When a grave is fitted out with such a box, then it is very difficult to open it without betraying the fact that it had been tampered with. The box itself cannot be lifted without removing the earth therefrom, and this cannot be done without destroying the strips across the box, nor can the box be lifted without removing the earth between the box and the walls and the grave on account of the rim along the bottom of the box.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A grave-protector consisting of a metallie box having solid bottom and side walls provided with a surrounding flange, upright bars secured within the side walls and a plurality of strips extending across the top and secured to said upright bars, substantially as described.

2. The grave-protector herein described consisting of a metallic box having solid bottom and walls, the lower ends of the box, sides and bottom being flanged with the flanges thereof secured together, a series of parallel strips secured to the inner faoesvof the side walls, and parallel strips extending crosswise of the top and secured to the upper ends of the side strips at a distance below the top of said box, all substantially as here in shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my `name in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK SKLENSKE.

Witnesses:

GUsTAvE J. MCGREGOR, F. R. DEREMER. 

